Hoppes #9 damage brass?

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Godsgunman

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I am pretty "anal" about cleaning my guns after each range session and either clean the day of or the next day. I use Hoppes cleaner and Remington oil for my semis. Anyways I cleaned my .357 revolver as usual, wiped her down, loaded her up and put her back in the bedside safe. About a week, maybe 2, later I decided I would carry the .357 for the day and I inspected the ammo and the ammo was somewhat stuck in the cylinder. The brass had some tarnish on it and had become sticky on the outside, only thing I can figure out is maybe there was some Hoppes I missed still in the cylinder as I reloaded it and put it away? Anyone else have something similar happen? I put the ammo to the side as it looks kind of "funny" and am uncertain if it is safe to shoot. I cleaned out the cylinder and made sure it was dry before putting 6 clean rounds in and went on my way. I've used Hoppes foerever and always had at least 1 revolver and never had anything like this happen before.
 
I've noticed similar results when using brass-cased ammo in a revolver cleaned with #9. Nickel cases will not tarnish.

I've switched to CLP or motor oil and have had no problems since.
 
You can prevent the tarnishing by being sure you wipe down all the Hoppes #9 before you spray down with Rem Oil. It's not a good idea to leave solvent on your guns and it's obvious you are.
 
The chambers and the breechface MUST be completely dry before you load any rounds. Check it twice. You would not believe how many cops I have seen that have been carrying loaded sidearms with ammo that would not fire because they had come into contact with oils and solvents. Some guys would just soak their loaded gun down with WD 40 while it was still loaded and shove it back in their holster and carry like that for a year or more. The look on their faces was priceless when you explained to them why their gun would not fire. (and sometimes not even cycle because of all of the solidified gunk they put on there) and then realized how many times they had almost drawn their sidearm not knowing that it was out of commission. No one ever told them that oils and solvents can kill primers.
 
Clean, clean what you cleaned with, and then reapply oil where cleaning was done. After those three I swab with dry patches. I leave my guns so any oils,solvents will drain/drip for a long time(if possible) before loading.
 
If you're using so much that it drips or drains you're overdoing it.
 
In particular WD40 will kill primers.

Ketones are also penetrating, and can get into powder sometimes, alter burn rates. WD40 ruins primers and can stop ignition. Hoppes # 9 needs to be wiped completely off, it is not gun oil and you don't need it to stay around at all. Rem oil is very light and not much of that needs left on in the end. It is even bad to have oil in the barrel, it should be as dry as a dry patch can get it when you are done cleaning.
 
I "flush" my guns with Birchwood Casey Rust Barricade after cleaning. It will displace moisture and dilute/displace solvent. I then wipe everything up again. The Barricade evaporates leaving a thin, non oily protective film on the metal, so you don't have liquid in any corners or crevices.
 
Godsgunman said:
I am pretty "anal" about cleaning my guns after each range session and either clean the day of or the next day. I use Hoppes cleaner and Remington oil for my semis. Anyways I cleaned my .357 revolver as usual, wiped her down, loaded her up and put her back in the bedside safe. About a week, maybe 2, later I decided I would carry the .357 for the day and I inspected the ammo and the ammo was somewhat stuck in the cylinder. The brass had some tarnish on it and had become sticky on the outside, only thing I can figure out is maybe there was some Hoppes I missed still in the cylinder as I reloaded it and put it away? Anyone else have something similar happen? I put the ammo to the side as it looks kind of "funny" and am uncertain if it is safe to shoot. I cleaned out the cylinder and made sure it was dry before putting 6 clean rounds in and went on my way. I've used Hoppes foerever and always had at least 1 revolver and never had anything like this happen before.
Click to expand...
I use Bore Tech 'Eliminator' for my barrel cleaning needs. It work real well.
 
Am I the only one that suspects the RemOil is the problem here?

I had my S&W 686 stored in a zippered case in a night stand - untouched - for 15 years and never had this problem. I use Hoppes 9 and Hoppes oil.

Which leads me back to the RemOil. I have read that RemOil will turn gummy over time, as will WD40. I admit that I don't know this from experience with RemOil, but I wouldn't use it to store any of my firearms.
 
Thanks for all the replies, I generally do make a point to make sure that the cylinder is dry before loading ammo. I must have been in a hurry I guess. Lesson learned though and I will make sure I don't repeat the mistake as .357 ammo aint cheap. Shows that no matter how familiar one is with firearms, accidents can happen.
 
There is nothing wrong with Hoppe's #9, or with Rem-Oil.
I have used both almost exclusively forever.

The problem is leaving bore cleaner in a loaded gun.

And yes, don't spray the chambers with Rem-Oil and leave it in there with the ammo either.

Spray it lightly on a clean patch, swab the chambers & bore, and then swab them again with a dry patch.

All that is left is 'just right'.

rc
 
Yup the solvents will react to the brass, and oil isn't good for primers.

Finish with a dry patch and check your rounds frequently.
 
robhof

I'm another believer that WD40 will kill primers, many years ago I had a
Dan Wesson 357 that was a tack driver and would shoot anything I fed it, til a friend(a combat arms instructor) told me that WD40 was the best thing for cleaning and oiling my gun. Shortly thereafter I started getting dead primers, both from factory ammo and my reloads. Stopped WD40 and had no more problems. There was a long discussion on another site about WD40 and many swear by it, but I clean with break free and oil lightly with with auto trans fluid and have been diong it for years and all my guns work fine.:evil::D
 
WD-40 is great. I use it all the time on my garage door, car door hinges, saws, lawn mowers, and so on. I won't let it get anywhere near a gun or ammunition.

Jim
 
I'm really anal about making sure my firearms are completely dry before I load them. I also take a swab and acetone to the barrel / cylinder before I load up. This has long been something many gun owners have failed to understand. And not only does solvent or oil kill primers / powder, but any substance that gets in the chamber, breach face, barrel, or on the cartridge can be very bad for the firearm. Brass is supposed to momentarily seize in the chamber when the cartridge is fired, thus preventing it from slamming into the breach face during peak pressure. And the fact that cylinders, chambers, breach faces, and barrels can be damaged by substances present, is another reason it's a no, no. Liquids don't compress, so they will bulge barrels / chambers, and can pit the breach face trying to compress.
GS
 
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